Say It With Flowers

When my dad died we had a family discussion about what kind of floral tributes would be appropriate at his funeral. As he had no religious views of any kind, we felt we wanted to offer something that would reflect what was important in his life. So, being a keen darts player all his life the answer was obvious - a dartboard wreath (shown here).

Less than a week after my dad's funeral I attended another. Chris, a friend of my brother Keith, died unexpectedly at the age of 38. My brother and Chris were regular skiers so Keith decided on a floral tribute depicting a pair of skis on a snowy slope and it was...well, pretty cool!

When I went to the florists to pay the bill for my dad's wreath, going through the door I had to stand to one side as they were on their way out carrying a three-foot square rubik cube! I was much impressed and asked the lady what other unusual floral tributes she had been asked to provide. She told me she had once been asked to come up with two cigarettes which would cover the whole length of the coffin! Apparently, the man had died from lung cancer and when he made his will he requested that his family do this in the hope that it would act as a reminder.

I'll obviously have to give this a bit of thought where my own funeral is concerned. At the moment I quite fancy a floral tribute depicting a Waterstone's book token. I just hope the florist is up to the challenge!